Today’s Birthday: Gutzon Borglum

It's March 25, and Gutzon Borglum was born on this date in 1867. If you're wondering who Gutzon Borglum is, you're probably not alone, but by reading this blog, you're going to find out. Although not a household name by any means, Borglum created one of the most famous sculptures in the world, Mount Rushmore. The site itself is beginning a 90th anniversary celebration today, but Borglum didn't begin to carve there until a few years later. The process wasn't without its share of struggles. He failed in his first attempt to carve a likeness of Thomas Jefferson into stone, and dynamite had to be used to help create the figure of George Washington. Finally he completed work on those two heads and added Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt to the quartet which has become one of the most familiar symbols of our country. You can learn more about those four presidents and more by taking our online or paper-based United States History course and learn more about Mount Rushmore itself by visiting its official site.